Coaster



June 1962 J. H. MILLER 3,040,472

COASTER Filed Aug. 10, 1959 6 PRINTED MATTER HERE V3 lNVENTOR:

BVMMM ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Office Filed Aug. 10, 1959, Ser. No. 832,564 1Claim. (Cl. 4568.4)

This invention relates to a coaster for supporting beverage glasses orbottles, and more specifically, to a beverage-supporting coasterprovided with means for entertaining the users thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide a laminated fiber orpaperboard coaster which may be used as a device for the playing ofparty games without at the same time losing its effectiveness as amoisture absorbent pad for the supporting of beverage glasses orbottles. Accordingly, the invention is particularly adapted for use ineither the home or in commercial establishments where people meet toenjoy beverages or liquid refreshments.

Two embodiments ofv the invention are illustrated in the drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of-a coaster embodying the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the several layersof sheet material from which the coaster is formed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the coasterillustrated in FIGURE 1, the view being taken along line'33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of a coaster constituting a secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the layers from which the coaster ofFIGURE 4 is formed; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 66 ofFIGURE 4.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-3,the numeral 10 generally designates a flat coaster or pad formed fromtop, intermediate and bottom sheets 11-13 respectively. The top andbottom sheets or layers are preferably formed from fibrous andmoisture-absorbent sheet material while the intermediate layer 12 isformed from a sheet of sized paper or other relatively non-absorbentsheet material. Thus, when the parts are adhesively secured together inthe manner illustrated in FIGURE 3, the top and bottom layers areexposed for absorbing moisture from a surface upon which the coaster isplaced or from an article positioned upon the coaster, while theintermediate layer serves as a moisture barrier between the top andbottom layers of the laminated article.

In FIGURES 1 and 2 it will be seen that the top layer 11 is die-cutalong lines 14 to define or partially define removable sections 15. Inthe illustration given, the lines 14 are arcuate and generally define aplurality of sections of circular configuration. However, it is to benoted that the several arcuate cuts or perforations for each circularsection are spaced apart at their ends to provide narrow connectingportions 16 which retain the circular sections in position until thoseportions are torn in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Top layer 11 is adhesively secured by any suitable glue or cement to theintermediate layer 12. However, the undersurfaces of the circularsections are free of adhesive attachment to layer 12 so that thesesections may later be removed to expose the top surface portions of theintermediate layer through the circular openings. As already indicated,the undersurface of the intermediate layer is glued or otherwiseadhesively attached to the upper surface of the fibrous bottom layer 13.

The top surface of the coaster isimprinted, as indicated by the numeral17, with a riddle or question, or with instructions for the playing ofthe game. Similarly, the intermediate layer 12 bears imprinting beneatheach of the circular sections 15, as indicated in FIGURE 2 by thenumerals 18, which relates in some way to the question, riddle orinstructions appearing upon the face of the coaster. If for example, theface of the coaster bears an imprinted question, the intermediate layermay bear imprinted yes or no answers to that question. Alternatively,the imprinting upon the face of the coaster may instruct the user tomake-up a question of his own and to uncover the answer to that questionby tearing and peeling back any of the sections 15 of the top layer toexpose the imprinting carried by the intermediate layer directlytherebelow.

While the structure of the present invention comprises a device forentertaining users at parties and other gatherings, it will be notedthat such use does not impair the function of the structure as a coasterto protect a table or other supporting surface frommoisture which ispresent upon the outer surface of the article supported by the pad.Conversely, the provision of absorbent top and bottom layers promotesthe use of the structure as a game by protecting the relatively thinintermediate layer, and

the imprinting carried thereby, from water and other liquids. It willalso be observed that the porous texture of the fibrous upper layer 11permits the circular sections 15 to be easily detached or torn-away, andthereby facilitates playing of the game.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 4 through 6,the coaster 10' is substantially the same as the structure alreadydescribed except that there is no intermediate layer and the upper layer11' is provided with only a single removable section 15 defined bydie-cut lines 14. Like layer 13, the bottom layer 13 consists of animperforate sheet of porous moisture-absorbent material. The upper layer11 is also preferably formed of moisture absorbent sheet material andthe two layers are adhesively secured together to form the laminatedstructure illustrated in FIGURE 6. However, as in the first embodiment,the undersurface of the removable section 15' is not adhesively securedto the layer disposed directly therebelow, so that a user may easilytear back the removable section to expose the imprinting 18' beneaththat section. Also, the face of, the top layer 11' may be provided withprinted matter 17' which sets forth the rules of the game or recitessome question or riddle which is answered by the printing 18' concealedbeneath the re- Patented June 26 1962 3 4 tween of non-absorbent sheetmaterial, said upper layer References Cited in the file of this patenthaving die-cut lines defining a removable section thereof UNITED STATESPATENTS and having its undersurface adhesively secured to saidintermediate layer about said removable section, said 1,567,560 WorthDec. 29, 1925 lower layer being imperforate and having the upper sur- 52,004,166 Low June 11, 1935 face thereof adhesively secured to saidnon-absorbent in- 2,109,603 Worth Mar. 1, 1938 termediate layer, thenon-absorbent sheet of said inter- 2,163,478 W lf J 20, 1939 mediatelayer being imprinted directly beneath said remov- 2 203 133 Schuman et1 Jun 4, 1940 able section with markings normally concealed by said sec-2,70990 5 Dunlap Ju 7 19 5 5 tion, whereby, upon removal of said sectionsaid imprint- 10 2,856727 Tolbert Oct 21 5 ing is exposed to viewthrough said upper layer.

